Last modified 7 July 1998
This article presents an on-going compilation of Iberian Jewish names from
13th and 14th century sources written in Castillian and Navarese.

Most of these names are men's names, as in most period sources, but the
list gives a general picture of how Jewish names were put together. As
you'll notice, most of these people are identified only by a given name.
Some are given patronymic bynames (e.g. fijo de Salamon) which are
probably either transliterations or translations of Hebrew names like
ben Salamon. The form fijo de X is also common in
contemporary Spanish names. Sometimes the patronymic is contracted, as in
Aboçach, which represents ab Açach, i.e. "son
of Isaac". This pattern is also found in Arabic names rendered in Spanish
records. A names include locative bynames (e.g. Lebanaza "the
Liebanan", de Samanigo). One man is bynamed Levi, the Jewish
priestly caste, and others are identified by a family relationship.

Many of the given names are Spanish equivalents of Hebrew names:
Iuceph for Yosef, Abran for Avram or
Avraham, Essua for Yehoshua. Some may be actual
translations of the original Hebrew meanings of names, or allegorical
references. For example, Leon may be a rendering of Judah,
since the lion was the symbol of the biblical tribe of Judah.
Vivfilli represents Chaim, replacing the Latin word meaning
"life" for the original Hebrew; the equivalent Vivellus,
Vivelin in found among 14th century French Jews. Other names may
have been adopted from the surrounding Christian or Muslim societies.

Names marked + are feminine, and names marked ? are ones which are not
explicitly identified as Jews in the source, but which appear to be Jewish
from form and context. The letter Ç, c-cedilla, is pronounced as an \s\.

Our thanks to Talan Gwynek (Brian M. Scott) for his comments.

In Castilla, 1219

+

Oro Sol

Iuc Lebanaza

Iuceph de Lebanza

?

Iuceph Milano

Zac

?

Juceph el guer

?

Guerson

?

Semuel

?

Micael

In Navarra, 1350

Samuel Empesat

Judas Aboçach

(ab Açach = son of Isaac)

Abram, su hermano

(his brother)

Açach, su fijo

(his son, Açach is another rendition of
Isaac)

Menahem Laredi

Vivfilli et Juda, su fijo

(his son)

Çaçon

(another version of Isaac, a diminutive form)

Saul

+

Fermosa et Orçeti, su fija

(his daughters; Fermosa may be a variant of or error for Latin
Formosa "beautiful, shapely")

Mosse de Samanigo

Açach de Samaynigo

Jamilla

Mosse, fijo de Çadia

(son of Çadia)

Seynnor

(modern Spanish Señor, Latin
Senior, which was in use as a name. It was common among French
Jews.)